Superhero by Victor Methos

eyes.
     

 
    CHAPTER 17
     
     
    William stood outside the central precinct and stared at the building. He had spent time here when he was a rookie on the motor squad, busting DUIs and speeders. The police tape encircled the building and several uniforms blocked every entrance. A strong media presence was there and the fact that the national wires had picked it up meant that it was about to get stronger.
    “Detective,” an officer said from behind him.
    “What is it, Hector?”
    “It’s…Mandi was in there. She was at the front desk. The paramedics did everything they could but she’d lost too much blood. She’s gone, Detective.”
    William nodded. “Thanks, Hector. Ah, let me notify her family, okay? I’ve known them for some years.” The officer didn’t respond and William put his hand on his shoulder. “Hector, we need to stay focused. They want us to be crushed by this.”
    “I know. It’s just…I knew most of the people in there. Most of ‘em had kids.”
    “I know.”
    The men parted and William turned back to the building. He took a deep breath before ducking under the police tape and going in.
    A forensic tech stood outside, handing out booties and latex gloves to the detectives. The techs hated nothing more than some detectives screwing up a crime scene by contaminating it. Undoubtedly, when that happened, the techs themselves would be blamed. So now they handed out booties and gloves.
    William put on the booties and gloves and stepped inside the building. The windows had all been closed and the air must’ve been turned off because it was hot and muggy. It gave the place a strong stench of blood and cordite, even though the shootings had happened hours ago.
    The ME’s Office’s body movers waited for the lead detective on the case to sign off before bagging the bodies and hauling them for autopsy.
    William saw several bodies out in the main area. One was a civilian. A woman they had picked up for drunk driving who was getting booked. Another was just a janitor that happened to be clocking out after a shift. In another room, the captain’s office, William saw two detectives sitting with a uniformed officer. The uniform was older and black with white hair at the temples. He had bandages wrapped around his head. William walked over, purposely avoiding looking at the pools of dried blood on the linoleum.
    William stood at the doorjambs but didn’t enter the room. He listened as the uniform told his story. He had been running a DUI through the booking process. The ink pad was dry and he began walking to the supply closet to get another when he heard the door crash open and gunshots begin to ring in the air. Instantly, he ducked. It was a reflexive response, he said. He had done two tours in Iraq and that instinct of survival at the sight or sound of something threatening was the only reason he was still alive.
    He told them that all the men that came through here had dreadlocks. Though they had shot out the cameras, he could give a detailed description to a sketch artist.
    “I’ll help you all I can,” he said. “But right now, I’d really like to get to a hospital.”
    The detective nodded. “We’ll get ya outta here, Officer.”
    “One sec,” William said. “You telling me you dodged bullets while these officers dropped like flies around you?”
    “I’m tellin’ you what happened. You can choose to believe me or not, but that’s what happened.”
    William stared at him a moment and then nodded to the detective, indicating to let him go. William took a deep breath and was left in the room alone with Ruel Glidesburg. He was barely a cop. He’d put in his twenty at an elementary school and transferred to patrol before going detective.
    “The video’s useless?” William asked.
    Ruel took out a piece of Nicorette gum and stuck it in his mouth. “Yup. All the inmates are gone too.”
    William shook his head. “I never in a million years thought—”
    “Neither did I.” He stood